Run ends at the seaside

A four-match winning run was bought to an end at Bloomfield Road as two first half goals and a third 10 minutes from time saw the three points deposited in Blackpool's Premier League account.

A four-match winning run was bought to an end at Bloomfield Road as two first half goals and a third 10 minutes from time saw the three points deposited in Blackpool's Premier League account.

After being caught out twice in the opening 45 minutes, the team went all-out attack in the second with the introduction of Jermaine Jenas and later Niko Kranjcar and how our 'goals for' from this encounter remained at just one is one to ponder. A combination of resolute defending, inspired goalkeeping and a few wasteful finishes goes some way towards explaining.

Roman Pavlyuchenko and Jermain Defoe started in tandem, while Luka Modric returned to the starting line-up alongside Wilson Palacios in central midfield. William Gallas pushed across to cover for the injured Vedran Corluka at full-back, with Sebastien Bassong coming in to central defence to partner captain Michael Dawson.

The travelling Spurs fans were certainly making themselves heard in this atmospheric arena just as Dawson was preparing to lead his team out from the opposite stand onto a surface that appeared to have undergone some running repairs.

Both teams, however, struggled to find a little cohesion in the opening ten minutes, which were more of a containing exercise without a concerted assualt on the respective penalty areas.

This almost changed when Richard Kingson aimed an air-punch at a Steven Pienaar corner on 13 minutes, with the same player shooting high when a shooting opportunity emerged from the same attack.

Pavlyuchenko shot hopefully from all of 35 yards but more significant action took place with 17 minutes gone at the other end. As a result of a deep cross from the right, Bassong and DJ Campbell collapsed in a heap and referee Mr Foy did not deliberate for too many seconds before pointing to the spot.

Charlie Adam was powerful and precise in planting his penalty kick to the right of Heurelho Gomes and into the bottom corner of the net.

Pavlyuchenko teed up Pienaar for what looked a likely leveller just before the half-hour mark, but Craig Cathcart threw himself in the way of the South African's effort, certainly risking the ball striking his arm.

Cathcart was again central to the action moments later when he cleared a Defoe chip from under the bar after the England striker had been played into the area by Pavlyuchenko - his effort taking a major diversion off the advanced Kingson.

Palacios threaded a superb ball through to Lennon just before half-time only for the winger to stumble in homing in on goal before moments later darting into the penalty area and teasing over a cross that Kingson couldn't gather. Pavlyuchenko squared and Defoe's low shot was cleared off the line.

In the next move the advantage was doubled for the home side when a James Beattie burst to the right of the area led to a pinpoint cross that was met on the full at the far post by Campbell for his second of the night.

Jenas was introduced after the break to hopefully spark a repair job, taking over from Palacios. The deficit should have been reduced almost straight away when Modric supplied Lennon, who cut back to Pienaar in front of goal, but no finish was applied.

Kingson then saved from a Pavlyuchenko header at the end of an excellent move that owed much to the Russian himself in instigating it. Modric was not far away with an attempt from distance as a breakthrough appeared to be edging nearer.

Adam shot narrowly wide at the other end before Harry Redknapp made a further change in swapping Pienaar for Kranjcar.

Defoe and then Kranjcar played balls across the face of goal that were just asking to be put in the back of the net as the clock ticked past the hour point and a Spurs goal remained elusive.

Kingson then pulled out a remarkable save to foil a Pavlyuchenko header from a Lennon cross as pressure was really being cranked up. Pavlyuchenko did everything right and looked on in disbelief at the feat of the goalkeeper.

Next up was Modric sent clear by Defoe, clearing the keeper but being denied by an Alex Baptiste clearance.

Peter Crouch was drafted into the mix in place of Bassong but the game was put out of sight when Benoit Assou-Ekotto did not clear a threat from sub Matt Phillips and ended up steering into the path of another replacement Brett Omerod, who made it three.

Pavlyuchenko did net a consolation in the closing seconds but the fact it was too late to alter the outcome ensures it will remain a long trip home.